This Could Be The Start
by Maveness
Summary: A little Jayne character exploration. For those who see more than what is seen on the screen.


By: Maveness  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: I don't own them, though I wish I did so there wouldn't be a threat of cancellation.  
Feedback: mavenessdelight@yahoo.com  
  
  
  
"Gorram freak up to something again," Jayne muttered to himself. He stood on the catwalk in the cargo bay, staring down at the floor below. The girl was messin' around, doin' who the hell knows what. But she was doin' it near their shipment, and last thing they needed was for those medical supplies to get damaged. That was a hell of a lot of money sittin' there. Some of it his money. And no way she was messin' up a sure thing for him, specially after he saved her and her brother.  
  
Jayne grimaced momentarily. Course, if he hadn'ta gone after that reward...ah, forget it. Wasn't worth worrin' about. He got 'em in a mess and he got 'em out. All was even and fair and he didn't owe anybody anything. Least of all the freak. Hell, if anything, she owed him for that slice and dice she did on his chest the other day. Yeah, that had hurt somethin' fierce.  
  
A sudden bang from the floor below drew his attention. The girl was shoving around several of the containers, knocking them into each other.   
  
"Hey, what you think you're doin'," Jayne yelled as he tore down the stairs two at a time. "Get away from that!"  
  
She just muttered some crazy stuff, shoving and reaching behind a particularly large container.  
  
Jayne grabbed her arm and pulled her away, shaking her once, hard, to get her attention.  
  
"I told you to leave that alone. You got no business messin' with the merchandise."  
  
She stared at him with that weird look that she did, the one made him feel like she was seein' into the deepest parts of his head, then pulled away from him, doin' her crazy muttering again. She stepped back and started looking around, like she had lost somethin'.  
  
Great. The freak was talkin' crazy again. He just hoped there weren't any sharp objects lyin' about. He was damn tired of losin' things to her. His food he wasn't happy about, but he could get over. But his blood, that made him mad. And it wasn't going to happen again. No sir.  
  
She continued her looking about, starting to get frantic. The searching led back to the containers she had been messing with earlier.   
  
And where was her brother when he was needed? Her brother was supposed to be taking care of her. And no sign in sight of the doctor, which meant there was only one person to help the girl find whatever she was looking for. Before she broke something. Jayne rolled his eyes and gave a disgusted sigh.  
  
"Hey. You."  
  
She ignored him. Or didn't hear him. Couldn't tell what with the crazy way she acted.  
  
"Girl. Ri...River."  
  
She turned and fixed that eerie stare on him for a moment, then turned back to her search.  
  
"River. Hey. Whatcha lookin' for? Ya lose somethin'?"  
  
She continued her muttering, but she did step to the side and point down between two containers, so he could at least guess that whatever she was lookin' for was down there. He stepped over and stared down into the narrow crack between. Ah, there it was. A...something. Some bit of girlish frippery. Looked like something a child would own. He pulled it out and examined it momentarily. Pink and lacey, and apparently some sort of doll.   
  
The girl reached over and snatched it from his grasp, cuddling it to her breast.   
  
"Ungrateful little..." Jayne muttered, glaring at her bent head. That's what you got for doing somethin' nice. Well, next time her brother better find her little dolly for her, cause if that's the thanks he got...  
  
He went to leave, find some real work that hopefully required some physical work. And she grabbed his arm, stopping him mid-stride.   
  
"And this delightful Herb whose tender Green  
Fledges the River's Lip on which we lean -  
Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knows  
From what once lovely Lip it springs unseen!"  
  
She smiled that full, happy smile, that little child's smile. Beaming at him. Like what she had said made sense. Which it didn't, but not much she said made sense. But that smile, it seemed to say that she was thankful. Hell, maybe that little bout of insanity or poetry or whatever was her way of saying thanks.   
  
"Uh, yeah. Yeah. You too," he nodded awkwardly and patted the hand still on his arm. She smiled back, then picked up the doll and raced up the stairs and back toward the medical bay and her brother. She paused just once, at the top of the stairs to beam down out him again, before continuing on.  
  
Jayne stared after her for a moment, sighed. Great, just what he needed.  
  
Gorram freak thought he was her friend. 


End file.
